Absurdities and Realities of Special Education
Absurdities and Realities of Special Education: The University of Vermont Center for Digital Initiatives Collection is a complete set of all of the cartoons created by Michael Giangreco with the assistance of the artist Kevin Ruelle. This includes a total of 335 cartoons from four previously published books and searchable CD that went "out of print" in 2019 and a few newer cartoons. Michael Giangreco created the original ideas, text, and sketches for each cartoon and Kevin Ruelle redrew the sketches.
The cartoons in the first three books all were originally in black and white. That was a conscious decision, both for aesthetic and practical reasons. The cartoons were designed to be easily copied on to overhead transparencies for display in classes, workshops, and other learning environments. A group called Alliance for Inclusive Education (ALLFIE) requested permission to use one of the cartoons on the cover of their magazine and subsequently colorized it. Prompted by Giangreco’s colleagues associated with ALLFIE, Giangreco and Ruelle began to colorize the rest of the images. In this complete digital collection, we have included a total of 335 different digital images; including the 315 different cartoons from the four earlier books, 12 cartoons that were on the CD only, and eight that were not included in any of the previously published books or CD.
Cartoons from the early books have found their way on to the pages of many newsletters disseminated by schools, parent groups, disability advocacy organizations, and professional associations. They have appeared in books, manuals, and journals; a few were even published in a law journal. The cartoons have been used extensively as projected slides or within learning activities in college classes, at conferences, in workshops, and at other meetings. Parents have framed cartoons that closely reflected their own experiences and hung them in their homes or offices. Other parents have used them in meetings with professionals to help get their points across. They have been given as gifts to people who "get it" and handed out as door prizes. The Vermont Coalition for Disability Rights used them as part of "Disability Awareness Day" at the Vermont legislature. The cartoons can be used in innumerable creative ways.
Showing 141 - 150 of 342 Records
Learning Not to Make a Move
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1998
- Description: This cartoon has four panels arranged in a square pattern. The images each show a student with a plate of food and utensils in front of him and a paraprofessional next to him. In the top left corner the paraprofessional says, "Pick up the spoon." The upper right panel shows the student with the spoon in his hand and the paraprofessional says, "Scoop the food." In the lower left panel the student has scooped the food and the paraprofessional says, "Now raise the spoon..." In the lower right panel as student has raised the spoon partially, the paraprofessional says, "To the mouth." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Rodney learns not to make a move until he is told."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Ants in His Pants
Team of One
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1998
- Description: This cartoon has four panels arranged in a square pattern. Each panel shows a table with four chairs, three are empty and one is occupied by Marty. In the first frame Marty has just moved from one seat to another as he says, "And that's my idea!" In the second panel he quickly moves to a different chair and says, "That's a very interesting idea!" In the third panel he again quickly moves to a different empty seat and says, "What if we did that every day? In the fourth panel he again quickly moves to a different empty seat and says, "And we could use it in science too! The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Marty continues to think of himself as a team of one."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Ants in His Pants
I Needed… They Gave Me...
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1998
- Description: This cartoon shows a person with hands together praying. In a thought bubble the person is thinking, "I needed moral support and they gave me an article to read. I needed an extra pair of hands and they gave a specialist once a month. I needed someone to demonstrate a method and told me I was doing a great job. I needed some information and they gave me an instructional assistant." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Match supports to needs continues to be an elusive experience for Harry."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Ants in His Pants
Meet the Standards
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows Mr. Moody (administrator) standing with a line of students behind him and a couple with a baby, Mr. and Mrs. Standard, in front of them. Mr. Moody says "Suzy, I'd like you to meet Mr. Standard, his wife, Mrs. Standard and their little baby Standard- They're new in town." The tag line reads "Confused by a state education directive, Mr. Moody arranges for every student in his school to meet the Standards."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Whine Cellar
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows Mr. Moody and a woman going down the stairs into the cellar. There are wood barrels in the foreground of the frame and one of the barrels has a mouse and cheese on it. Mr. Moody says "Let's talk down here." The tag line reads "Mr. Moody escorts a disgruntled employee to the school's newly established Whine Cellar."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Authentic Assessment
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows a wall with signs across the top and sides. There is a salesman pointing to the signs behind a counter and a woman in the foreground. The sign across the top of the panel reads "Test Publishers Inc." On the left side of the panel a sign reads "Our Moto: 'We'll sell you what-ever you're willing to buy regardless of quality or utility'." Other signs read "Authentic Assessments," "Counterfeit Assessments," "Culturally Biased Assessments," "Hypothetical Assessments," "Make-Believe Assessments," and "Verified, But Useless Assessments." The woman asks the salesman "What kind of assessment tools do you carry?" The salesman says, "We carry a full range!" The tag line reads, "Authentic Assessments: Consider the Alternatives."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
School Psychologists
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows a table with testing kits and fire extinguishers. Two women are in the panel and one person outside the panel says, "Hurry up! We've got a problem!" One woman rushes toward the voice carrying a fire extinguisher and testing kit saying, "I'm coming!" The women near the table calls out, "Next!" The tag line reads "All of the district's school psychologists are supplied with equipment to carry out their two most common functions."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Educating Roaches
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon is two panels in the top frame of the panel are a man and a woman. The man is a reporter and is interviewing the woman who is holding up a "Not Roaches" sign. He says "And now a commentary from Bertha Snippett." And Bertha says "Who are these 'Inclusive Education' people and why do they want to educate supportive roaches? I don't care how supportive the are! Roaches are nasty little bugs and furthermore..." In the lower frame the reporter interrupts and says "Excuse me, it's not "educating supportive roaches." It's "Educationally Supportive Approaches." Mrs. Snippett says, turning red in the face "Oh...never mind." The tag line reads "Inclusion mishap #13: Mrs. Snippett decides it's finally time to have her hearing tested."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Eyes in the Back of the Head
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows a teacher writing on the blackboard in front of a class full of students. One of the students in the front row is making a goofy face at the rest of the class. Without looking behind her, the teacher says, "I saw that." The tag line reads "Students conduct a scientifically controlled experiment to verify that teachers really do have eyes in the back of their heads."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Pumped Up
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows a woman lifting weights on a barbell. The tag line reads "Mrs. Hart gets pumped up about teaching a full range of students, because even though it's hard work, the results really show."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants